Marker arrives to honor pioneer Albion residents
Photo courtesy of Al Capurso – The Capurso family and Orleans County officials will dedicate this marker on the courthouse lawn July 6.
ALBION – Al Capurso can’t contain his excitement.
A historic marker, with a log cabin logo, arrived at his house this week. On July 6 it will be dedicated on the courthouse lawn during a 1 p.m. ceremony.
Capurso sent me a photo of the marker last night. On Wednesday he discussed the project with the Orleans County Historical Association.
The Capurso family is paying for the marker. They wanted to honor the pioneering spirit of Albion’s first residents.
In December 1810, William McAllister bought 368 acres in Albion, the east side of the village, from the Holland Land Company. The following year he built a log cabin where the current County Clerks’ Building stands next the county courthouse.
McAllister and his wife, known only in historical information as “Mrs. McAllister,” were Albion’s first settlers.
Capurso researched the history about McAllister while reading about pioneer residents in Orleans County in books that were published in the mid-1800s. He also dug into records at the Holland Land Company.
